NOVANEWS
Iranian lawmaker Zohreh Elahian
An Iranian lawmaker warns of plots to create rifts between Muslims, saying a reconciliation deal between Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah has worried the US and Israel.
“The recent unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas caused grave concerns in the United States and the Zionist regime [of Israel] as they … used to achieve their objectives in the region by creating division and sowing discord,” Zohreh Elahian, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis), told Mehr News Agency on Thursday. Her remarks come on the heels of a recent pact between Hamas and Fatah, which lays the groundwork for creating an interim unity government and ending years of rift. Hamas’ Political Bureau Chief, Khaled Meshaal and acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah signed the Egyptian-brokered reconciliation agreement in Cairo on Wednesday.
The Iranian legislator added that the US has threatened to cut its aid to Fatah after the deal, and noted that Washington’s reaction is indicative of the US anger over unity between Palestinian factions. Elahian pointed out that Muslim nations in the region are resolute and seek to achieve victory and strengthen their unity to foil “enemies’ plots.” She expressed the Islamic Republic’s support for the Hamas-Fatah unity deal and expressed hope that such agreements would lead to the victory of the Palestinian people. “Iran’s Majlis proposes active Palestinian groups to use all their potential to fight the Zionist regime [of Israel] and avoid differences,” Elahian concluded. On April 28, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi welcomed the accord between Hamas and Fatah factions, describing it as an “auspicious and positive” step toward the achievement of historic objectives of the oppressed Palestinian people. Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in January 2006.
